Just bought a lightly used set of 2010 Reynolds carbon MV32 tubular set of wheels. Had a PR for the year on a 8 mile 7-8% grade climb with some sections in the 10+% range. Sounds like the Reynolds blue pads may be a better choice for my wheel set from what others are saying.

Mt Diablo?

Get the Reynolds pads. They're cheaper than SwissStops, work much better, and are what Reynolds recommends.

Pads used on aluminium rims collect little shards of aluminium, which get embdded in the pads. Those will shred carbon rims. Carbon rim makers specifically warn against using pads on aluminium rims and then on carbon rims without throughly cleaning the shards out. That means removing the pads and using an awl to pick them out. So if you have to use your carbon pads on aluminum, like if you get a wheel in a race, you must remove the pads and clean them before using them on carbon wheels. If you use pads with shards in them on carbon rims and damage them, don't expect to warranty the rims.

It looks like the pad retention screws are a little more difficult to get to on the Trek aero brakes, and on the rear you have to get the pads past the chainstay. But it doesn't look like set screw access would be too hard once the wheels removed, which you'd do to swap pads anyhow. Just reach in with an allen key. Once you have the screws out, flip the QR back and apply the brake to squeeze the pad holders together. That lets you slide the pads out past the fork. Same trick should work on the rear, but you may need to squeeze the brakes together even farther with one hand to get the pads out past the stays. With regular pad screws you can unscrew them most of the way but leave them in the holder, which makes it a little faster because you don't have to thread them back in. They just need to be out far enough to let the pad slide out. You could probably do the same with these.

The idea that alu shards damage carbon wheels when interchanging pads between alu and carbon wheels gets trotted out every time this subject comes up, which seems to be quite often.

Has anyone actualy found this. I.e. it has actually happened to them, not just having heard it from someone else. I agree with micky in that I think using good quality alu wheels should be a prerequisite of this question.

Find me one, just one, manufacturer of carbon rims/wheels that clealry states in print that it's quite allright to use whatever brake pad on alloy rims and their carbon product alike.

Yes, I know, there are brake pad manufacturers that produce pads they claim would work an both alloy and carbon rims. That does not mean you can use that very same pad on both carbon and alloy rims.

Even if you're prepared (which you're not, obviously) to thoroughly clean out a pad that's been used on an alloy rim, how are you going to be sure some piece of metal is still not embedded into that pad somewhere?A single shard is all it takes to thorughly damage a carbon rim, regardless of its pedigree or price tag.

Those who think alloy rims don't lose pieces of metal should do a few rounds on a cyclo-cross bike. The european way if possible....

Ciao,

_________________Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

Last edited by fdegrove on Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Its not a myth nor an old wives tale ... its old time wrenchers observations.

Its a fact. I clean out my aluminium rim pads every other month and it never fails to have objects embedded in them be it aluminium or sometimes even the odd bits of sand/ dirt.

If you have actually spent enough time fussing over the maintenance of your bike and its tuning, its something you'll encounter/notice. And I've been at it for the most part of the last 2 decades for every single one of my bikes ...

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